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They finally hammered out a deal, renewing the 1987 clash betwee the Tigers and the Golden Eagles. Here's the Clarion-Ledger story.
Eagles, Tigers tie knot for opener
Intrastate football rivals last clashed in intense 1987 game
By Tim Doherty and Mark Alexander
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writers
Calvin Younger gave a big thumbs-up to Friday's announcement that his alma mater, Jackson State, would open the 2002 football season against an intrastate, Division I-A opponent for only the second time when the Tigers kick off Aug. 31 at Southern Miss.
But Younger, president of the Blue Bengals booster organization, was less than thrilled that the game was going to be held at 33,000-seat Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg instead of 62,512 seat Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson.
"I'm sure it's going to be a sellout," Younger said. "My thing is their stadium isn't going to be able to accommodate all the people that are going to be there. The stadium here in Jackson could seat everybody. Both schools would benefit (more) financially if the game was played in Jackson."
The first-ever meeting between one of Mississippi's historically black colleges and one of the state's Division I-A programs in 1987 saw USM claim a tougher-than-expected 17-7 victory before 33,687 spectators crammed into the aisles and end zone bleacher seating that had been trucked in for the game.
It was the largest crowd in Roberts Stadium history at the time and still remains the second-largest crowd to watch a game in Hattiesburg, topped only by the 34,189 that watched Mississippi State stop USM 26-23 in 1989.
A sellout in Jackson would mean nearly twice as many people. But as the schools hammered out the final details this week on a one-year contract that will give USM six home games for the first time since 1982, the chances of a USM-JSU game in Jackson, this fall or down the road, grew dim.
"Yes, we talked about different options," USM athletic director Richard Giannini said. "But as important as the Jackson market is to Southern Miss, with Jackson State being a I-AA (program), we felt like the game needed to be here."
It also will mean a fairly potent 1-2 punch to open USM's season, with Illinois following JSU to Hattiesburg on Sept. 7. That can only help season-ticket sales in Hattiesburg.
"Yeah, but the big thing for us is that it means another home game," USM coach Jeff Bower said. "It's going to be a challenge for us because they've got a very successful program.
"But from what I understand, we were going to play on campus and that was going to be it. I just think we owe it to the people that support us, to Hattiesburg and the business community to keep that game in town."
At the same time, Giannini said that scheduling JSU was a better option for the Golden Eagles than some of the others he had explored to add a 12th game, including road games at Oregon and Oregon State.
"It's a good game for us, a good game for them, a win-win situation for everybody," Giannini said. "It's a game that the entire state will enjoy, with interest going down to every kid in junior high. We'd prefer to play that type of game than an out-of-state (I-AA), if we're going to do that."
JSU will receive a $125,000 guarantee for taking the trip down U.S. 49 South. That's considered the normal going rate for guarantees between I-A schools in a home-and-home series. For example, over a two-year period, where USM and Louisville play, USM would receive that amount for playing at Louisville, with the Cardinals receiving a similar check when they visited the Golden Eagles the following year.
The renewal of the JSU-USM rivalry had been in the works for a while, as The Clarion-Ledger first reported the likelihood of the 2002 season-opening contest in November. JSU football coach Robert Hughes said while he was glad JSU was playing USM again, he would have liked to have seen it played in Jackson.
"It should have been played here this year because we played there last time," Hughes said. "If not, it should be home and home."
Mike Rodgers of Hattiesburg, a long-time Golden Eagle fan, took a wait-and-see attitude on any long-term relationship between JSU and USM on the football field.
"I'm all for it," Rodgers said of Friday's deal. "I'm looking forward to a sellout, looking forward to a good win, and looking forward to a good warmup game before we play Illinois (in Hattiesburg on Sept. 7). Now, as far as anything beyond that, like a home-and-home, I'd want to wait on that and see how everything goes."
JSU, which had opened the past four seasons with Howard, will face a much more difficult challenge in USM. But that's just fine by JSU running back Nathan McLaurin.
"I would prefer to play them in Jackson, but it really doesn't matter to me as long as we get to play them," he said. "I'm looking forward to it. Playing better competition will let us know where we stand."
Giannini didn't completely rule out future games with the Tigers.
"It was a good situation in 1987, and I think it will be a good situation in 2002," Giannini said. "It might be that's it's a good situation down the road, too."
JSU athletic director Roy Culberson said a sellout this year might make USM more open to playing again.
"It would just be a matter of us getting together and reaching an agreement," Culberson said. "I hope we can develop a home-and-home with USM in the future."
Eagles, Tigers tie knot for opener
Intrastate football rivals last clashed in intense 1987 game
By Tim Doherty and Mark Alexander
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writers
Calvin Younger gave a big thumbs-up to Friday's announcement that his alma mater, Jackson State, would open the 2002 football season against an intrastate, Division I-A opponent for only the second time when the Tigers kick off Aug. 31 at Southern Miss.
But Younger, president of the Blue Bengals booster organization, was less than thrilled that the game was going to be held at 33,000-seat Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg instead of 62,512 seat Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson.
"I'm sure it's going to be a sellout," Younger said. "My thing is their stadium isn't going to be able to accommodate all the people that are going to be there. The stadium here in Jackson could seat everybody. Both schools would benefit (more) financially if the game was played in Jackson."
The first-ever meeting between one of Mississippi's historically black colleges and one of the state's Division I-A programs in 1987 saw USM claim a tougher-than-expected 17-7 victory before 33,687 spectators crammed into the aisles and end zone bleacher seating that had been trucked in for the game.
It was the largest crowd in Roberts Stadium history at the time and still remains the second-largest crowd to watch a game in Hattiesburg, topped only by the 34,189 that watched Mississippi State stop USM 26-23 in 1989.
A sellout in Jackson would mean nearly twice as many people. But as the schools hammered out the final details this week on a one-year contract that will give USM six home games for the first time since 1982, the chances of a USM-JSU game in Jackson, this fall or down the road, grew dim.
"Yes, we talked about different options," USM athletic director Richard Giannini said. "But as important as the Jackson market is to Southern Miss, with Jackson State being a I-AA (program), we felt like the game needed to be here."
It also will mean a fairly potent 1-2 punch to open USM's season, with Illinois following JSU to Hattiesburg on Sept. 7. That can only help season-ticket sales in Hattiesburg.
"Yeah, but the big thing for us is that it means another home game," USM coach Jeff Bower said. "It's going to be a challenge for us because they've got a very successful program.
"But from what I understand, we were going to play on campus and that was going to be it. I just think we owe it to the people that support us, to Hattiesburg and the business community to keep that game in town."
At the same time, Giannini said that scheduling JSU was a better option for the Golden Eagles than some of the others he had explored to add a 12th game, including road games at Oregon and Oregon State.
"It's a good game for us, a good game for them, a win-win situation for everybody," Giannini said. "It's a game that the entire state will enjoy, with interest going down to every kid in junior high. We'd prefer to play that type of game than an out-of-state (I-AA), if we're going to do that."
JSU will receive a $125,000 guarantee for taking the trip down U.S. 49 South. That's considered the normal going rate for guarantees between I-A schools in a home-and-home series. For example, over a two-year period, where USM and Louisville play, USM would receive that amount for playing at Louisville, with the Cardinals receiving a similar check when they visited the Golden Eagles the following year.
The renewal of the JSU-USM rivalry had been in the works for a while, as The Clarion-Ledger first reported the likelihood of the 2002 season-opening contest in November. JSU football coach Robert Hughes said while he was glad JSU was playing USM again, he would have liked to have seen it played in Jackson.
"It should have been played here this year because we played there last time," Hughes said. "If not, it should be home and home."
Mike Rodgers of Hattiesburg, a long-time Golden Eagle fan, took a wait-and-see attitude on any long-term relationship between JSU and USM on the football field.
"I'm all for it," Rodgers said of Friday's deal. "I'm looking forward to a sellout, looking forward to a good win, and looking forward to a good warmup game before we play Illinois (in Hattiesburg on Sept. 7). Now, as far as anything beyond that, like a home-and-home, I'd want to wait on that and see how everything goes."
JSU, which had opened the past four seasons with Howard, will face a much more difficult challenge in USM. But that's just fine by JSU running back Nathan McLaurin.
"I would prefer to play them in Jackson, but it really doesn't matter to me as long as we get to play them," he said. "I'm looking forward to it. Playing better competition will let us know where we stand."
Giannini didn't completely rule out future games with the Tigers.
"It was a good situation in 1987, and I think it will be a good situation in 2002," Giannini said. "It might be that's it's a good situation down the road, too."
JSU athletic director Roy Culberson said a sellout this year might make USM more open to playing again.
"It would just be a matter of us getting together and reaching an agreement," Culberson said. "I hope we can develop a home-and-home with USM in the future."
